Did the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Spread Covid-19 in the United States ?
A study from the University of San Diego (United States) estimates that the 80th edition of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, which brought together more than 450,000 motorcyclists from August 7 to 16, would be responsible for some 260,000 new cases of coronavirus in the United States for lack of sufficient precautions… Explanations.
This study relayed by the Institute of Labor Economics (IZA) indicates that the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, with its gathering of half a million bikers, would be the most important "superspreader event" in the United States, that is to say the biggest event Covid-19 "super-propagator" in this country which is approaching 200,000 deaths since the start of the health crisis.
- MNC special file :
- MNC Special File :
According to researchers at the University of San Diego, the American festival – the largest motorcycle gathering in the world – is responsible for "266,796 new cases" of Covid-19 contamination throughout the country, mainly due to the absence of the wearing a mask and respecting barrier gestures.
- Mask compulsory for bikers :
Over 460,000 participants gathered for ten days in and around Sturgis – a small town in South Dakota – to admire motorcycle gear and gear, take part in concerts and rides, and also eat and camp "in the area. ‘indifference to the pandemic ", accuses the study cited by AFP.
Insofar as "71%" of the bikers came from other States, they would then have spread the virus through the USA: the contaminations which are attributable to them would represent "19%" of the total number of cases detected in the country over the period. concerned ("1.4 million" between August 2 and September 2, according to the official count).
The town hall of Sturgis believes, however, that precautions have been taken upstream: "events sponsored by the city such as the opening ceremony, parades, competitions and live music at the Harley-Davidson Rally Point Plaza have been canceled".
In addition, the usual activities on Main Street have also been considerably reduced and the municipality claims to have taken "specific disinfection measures", contrary to the claims of the study..
Questionable approximate projections
This is in reality only an estimate drawn from the use of "anonymized mobility data" from mobile phones around Sturgis. The study then contents itself with "superimposing" this location data with the official Covid-19 figures by geographical areas.
In short: San Diego researchers extrapolate blindly, for lack of tests to corroborate their projections. No scientific journal has also published their dossier, which has also not been reviewed and approved by independent scientists: distrust, therefore, as to the scope and significance of these results..
Contamination has also increased throughout the Midwest this summer, not just in South Dakota. In other words: the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is not to date the geographic epicenter of a "cluster", as the conclusions of this somewhat alarmist report suggest..
This does not in any way excuse the non-respect of common sense measures observed on site with many bikers: after a few "Buds", wearing a mask and washing hands were no longer necessarily the priority of festival-goers. !
The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in brief
The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally was started in 1938 by a hip local Indian motorcycle club, which at the time was already dabbling with Harley-Davidson. It is not by chance that the American manufacturer will seal its eve there by revealing its superb Chief at the opening of the festival. !
From a small gathering around a regional race, the event originally concentrated in the main street has turned into an "XXL" concentration – American style! – in the 1960s: nearly 500,000 motorcyclists flock there for ten days, to the delight of traders !
The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is a unique concentration in terms of its size and attendance: up to 739,000 visitors in 2015, an unprecedented record! Its success is a real windfall: the event and its perks (catering, hotels, rentals, etc.) would bring in nearly "800 million dollars per year" to the town of Sturgis.
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